Unemployment is up in Michigan

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June increased over the month by three-tenths of a percentage point to 8.7 percent, according to state officials. According to the data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB), the state’s labor force rose by 21,000 in June as total employment advanced by 9,000 and the number of unemployed increased by 13,000. The state’s jobless rate in June 2013 was six-tenths of a percentage point below the state’s June 2012 rate of 9.3 percent. The national jobless rate also decreased by six-tenths of a percentage point over this period. The state’s unemployment rate in June was one and one-tenth percentage points above the national rate of 7.6 percent. The U.S. jobless rate was unchanged over the month. Department acting director Michael Williams says the increase last month was due to  “continued entry of persons into the state’s labor market,” adding that “more Michigan residents were working and more were seeking jobs during June.”  (MRN)